Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The nation's Hispanic population grew much faster than the population as a whole, increasing from 35.3 million on April 1, 2000, to 38.8 million on July 1, 2002. Among the race groups, Asians had the highest rate of growth at 9.0 percent.

     "The official population estimates now indicate that the Hispanic community is the nation's largest minority community," said Census Bureau Director Louis Kincannon. "This is an important event in this country an event that we know is the result of the growth of a vibrant and diverse population that is vital to America's future."

     Kincannon told the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) convention in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., that new Census Bureau population estimates show that the Hispanic population grew 9.8 percent between Census Day, April 1, 2000, and July 1, 2002. The rate of growth of the population as a whole was 2.5 percent.

     According to the race and Hispanic-origin estimates, Hispanics accounted for 3.5 million, or fully one-half, of the population increase of 6.9 million for the nation since April 1, 2000.

     The results show that about 53 percent of the recent growth among Hispanics can be attributed to net international migration, while natural increase the difference between births and deaths accounted for the remaining 47 percent.

     The federal government treats Hispanic origin and race as separate and distinct concepts. Separate questions are asked on Hispanic origin and race. The question on Hispanic origin asked respondents if they were Spanish, Hispanic or Latino. The question on race asked respondents to report the race or races they considered themselves to be. Thus, Hispanics may be of any race. (See U.S. Census Bureau Guidance on the Presentation and Comparison of Race and Hispanic Origin Data.)

     According to the 2002 estimates, the number of people who identified with one race, regardless of whether they also reported any other races, was: 236.2 million for whites, 38.3 million for African-Americans, 13.1 million for Asians, 4.3 million for American Indians and Alaska Natives and 943,000 for native Hawaiians and other Pacific islanders. (See the attached table for the number of people who reported only a single race. Those numbers, plus the 4.2 million people who reported two-or-more-races, sum to the total population.)

     Other highlights:

• On July 1, 2002, the estimated resident population of the United States was 288.4 million.This represents an increase of 2.5 percent or 6.9 million people since April 1, 2000.
• The U.S. median age continued to rise, from 35.3 years on April 1, 2000, to 35.7 years on July 1, 2002. The "baby boom" generation, born between 1946 and 1964, continued to get older, and proportionally fewer children were being born to offset the aging of this generation.

     The Census Bureau also issued a report on the characteristics of the Hispanic population in the United States. This report is based on a national survey of the civilian, non-institutional population, a slightly smaller population than the resident population estimates discussed above.

     The report, The Hispanic Population in the United States: March 2002, shows that more than 1-in-3 Hispanics were under age 18, and nearly 5-in-10 lived in central cities.

     The diversity of the various Hispanic or Latino groups is reflected in the percentages of those 25 years old and older who by 2002 had graduated from high school. These high school graduates among specific Hispanic groups ranged from 74 percent for those of "other Hispanic origin" and 71 percent for Cubans to 51 percent for Mexicans. The difference between those of "other Hispanic origin" and Cubans is not statistically significant. Those of "other Hispanic origin" identified themselves with such terms as Spaniard, Dominican or Tejano.

     Central and South Americans were more likely than other groups to work in service occupations (27 percent), and Mexicans were less likely than other groups to work in managerial or professional occupations (12 percent).

     Other highlights:

• Among Latino groups, Puerto Ricans were more likely than other groups to live in a central city within a metropolitan area (57 percent), while Cubans were more likely to live outside the central city but within a metropolitan area (77 percent).
• About 26 percent of full-time, year-round Latino workers made $35,000 or more in 2001, and about 12 percent made $50,000 or more.
• In 2001, 21 percent of Hispanics were below the poverty line. Hispanic children represented 18 percent of all children in the United States but comprised 30 percent of all children in poverty.

     The report presents the latest tabulations on such characteristics as place of residence, marital status, family type and size, educational attainment, labor force participation, occupation, income and poverty. The characteristics are shown for various Hispanic groups and are compared with those of non-Hispanic whites.

     Data in the report come from the Annual Demographic Supplement to the 2002 Current Population Survey. As in all surveys, the data are subject to sampling variability and other sources of error.